This Chicken Gyros recipe was given to me by the owner of Kalimera Souvlaki Art, a wildly popular gyros bar in Melbourne. It’s ridiculously, unbelievably, eye-rollingly good. The secret lies in a simple marinade made with just four pantry spices. Seriously!!!
Kalimera’s Greek Chicken Gyros
A couple of years ago, I did a series for Good Food Australia called Secret Recipes where I shared recipes for some of the world’s most iconic dishes, generously passed to me by the very restaurants famous for them.
The first one I did was for the great Greek gyros. I have always been obsessed with gyros, and for most of my life I have been loyal to my original recipe made with a heady yogurt-garlic-oregano marinade. I still love it, but today’s gyros recipe is something else….
It was given to me by Thomas Deliopoulos, owner of Kalimera Souvlaki Art which is a wildly popular souvlaki bar in a vibrant Greek neighbourhood called Oakleigh in Melbourne. It serves up gyros so good it has esteemed chefs like Australia’s Ben Shrewery and New York Times food critic Sam Sifton raving about it!
Thomas’ recipe has a unique marinade made only with spices – it doesn’t even have minced garlic in it – with a surprising secret – curry powder! Not enough to make it taste like curry, it just adds a layer of flavour that makes an otherwise fairly regular spice mix into something wow!
At Kalimera, the gyros is cooked the traditional way on giant vertical rotisseries layered with fistfuls of fat. I just pan-fry or BBQ it, and was originally worried this home version would be lacking. But by tweaking the spice amounts slightly (also because I am pretty sure Kalimera uses better quality spices than regular grocery stores sell), I can safely say I was wrong. I’ve made it for many people now, and everyone is nuts for it!
Thank you for the recipe Thomas! It’s seriously great. I look forward to visiting Kalimera again!
Ingredients in Kalimera’s Greek Chicken Gyros
This is an unusual mix of pantry spices that creates a magical gyros marinade – the flavour Kalimera Souvlaki Art has become famous for!
1. Kalimera’s secret chicken gyros marinade
Curry powder – Just regular western curry powder, the type you get from ordinary grocery stores. Mild, not spicy. Kalimera’s secret ingredient!
Mustard powder – Another surprising ingredient you don’t usually see in typical Greek marinades! Adds earthiness into the flavour. Dijon mustard is not quite the same but will make a decent substitute.
Sweet / regular paprika – not spicy or smoked.
Dried oregano – a Greek favours. Fresh oregano is not the same here.
Extra virgin olive oil – the liquid to make the marinade.
Salt and pepper – I use cooking salt (kosher salt is the US equivalent). If you only have table salt, decrease the quantities in the recipe by 50%, if you have salt flakes, increase by 50%.
2. COPYCAT KALIMERA GYROS SAUCE
Thomas was coy about revealing his exact gyros sauce recipe, however, he did tell me what’s in it so I made a copycat up. I think it’s pretty close! Here’s what you need:
Plain yoghurt – preferably Greek or Greek-style. Full fat is best, though low-fat will work just fine.
Whole-egg mayonnaise – This is the only type of mayonnaise I use because it has a smoother flavour than regular mayonnaise which is more vinegary and/or sweeter. S&W and Hellman’s are the brands I get. Kewpie is also ideal as it is similar in flavour. But, it’s ok! 🙂 You can use regular mayonnaise if that’s all you got, or prefer!
Extra virgin olive oil – to enrich the sauce.
American yellow mustard – the secret ingredient!! Gives the sauce a warm colour and a hint of flavour. Dijon mustard is not the same, we want the full-on bright yellow stuff!! 🙂 Substitute with Dijon mustard. Don’t use hot English mustard, oh gosh, that would make this too spicy!
Garlic and paprika – These are the two spices that add flavour into the sauce.
3. for the gyros
Use the bread-type of pita bread, if you can find it. That’s the traditional bread used for gyros. Otherwise, any flatbread will work here.
Gyros pita bread / souvlaki bread – As noted above, I use the bready-type of pita bread that is about 5mm / 0.2″ thick, 21cm / 8.5″ wide. My favourite is the Golden Top brand Souvlaki Bread , which is popular with Greek restaurants and souvlaki shops here in Australia. I get mine from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney).
Don’t be deterred if you can’t find this type of pita bread! Gyros is fabulous wrapped in anything – regular thin pita bread, flatbreads, Lebanese bread, even tortillas!
Tomato – Halved and thinly sliced.
Lettuce – Kalimera don’t use lettuce in theirs but I do like a bit of fresh leafy greenage inside. Feel free to skip it!
Red onion – Similarly to lettuce, this is my addition. I like a little bit of oniony-freshness in wraps like this.
HOT CHIPS! I know the gyros purists will approve, it wouldn’t be a proper Greek street-style gyros without them! However, it is optional and I must confess, most of the times I make gyros for a regular meal I do not include them, just out of sheer laziness – and because the gyros is so good (and stuffed full) even without them. 🙂
I just use frozen – cook them as you please (I bake for everyday, fry to impress) – though if you really want to show off, make your own fries!
How to make Kalimera’s famous Chicken Gyros
Kalimera cooks their chicken gyros on giant vertical rotisseries. We’re just going to use our stove or BBQ, no skewering involved. Not the same show but you still get the flavour!
1. Marinade chicken
Mix the marinade in a large bowl.
Marinade – Toss the chicken through, making sure you get the marinade into all the cracks and crevices! Then leave it to marinade overnight – 24 hours is ideal, 12 hours is enough, 3 hours is the bare minimum (in my books, though a friend has made this without marinading at all and thinks that once the chicken is chopped and tossed, you get enough flavour).
2. Cook
Sauce first – Mix the sauce up first before cooking the chicken as it benefits from resting for about 20 minutes to let the flavours meld.
Hot chips next, if using – Then cook the hot chips using whatever method works. If you’re baking or air frying, time it so they are ready when the gyros is ready to assemble. If you’re frying, fry then keep them warm in a 100°C/200°F oven.
Cook chicken either on the stove in a non-stick pan or better yet, on a BBQ, until deep golden brown and charred on the edges. You won’t need oil as the marinade has enough. Use medium high heat, so the surface won’t burn before the inside cooks through.
Small thighs will take about 3 minutes on each side, large ones 4 – 5 minutes. If you want to be sure, check the internal temperature – it should be at least 72°C/162°F when you take it off the BBQ. It will rise to 76°C/169°F once rested.
Rest – Remove the chicken from the BBQ/stove into a pan or tray. Loosely cover with foil then let it rest for 3 minutes (or however long it takes to cook the rest, if cooking in batches using a fry-pan). Resting is critical so the fibres re-absorb the meat juices so they don’t run out when you chop the chicken!
Warm the pita bread – While the chicken is resting, warm the pita bread. This is especially important if you are using the bready-type, else it will crack when you fold. The easiest way is to just stack on a plate and microwave for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes on high, until it is warm and pliable in the middle.
Else, you can brush with water and pan fry (careful not to make the surface crispy, else it will crack when folded) or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.
Slice the chicken into 8mm / 1/3″ strips.
Assemble gyros – To assemble, smear sauce down the middle. Pile chicken on, then place lettuce and tomato down the side. Sprinkle with red onion, top with chips, drizzle with more sauce then fold and devour!
This is such a great recipe to make in big batch because it’s so simple to make the marinade – just measuring out dry spices, no squeezing lemon, not even mincing garlic. Excellent to bag up marinated meat for the freezer, or big-batch cooking for groups.
It’s also one of those foods that you can lay everything out for everyone to help themselves to make their own wraps. I make no secret that I’m a fan of foods like that (like this one, this one, this one and this one). Yes, partially because it’s less work for me. But also I just like DIY foods – just feels more interactive and inclusive to eat this way rather than formal plated food!
Thoughts? 🙂 – Nagi x
PS While I made gyros wraps, can you imagine how good this would be in plate-form with a pile of this meat on spiced Lebanese rice (Mejadra) with tabbouleh or shredded lettuce and tomato, a huge dollop of tzatziki or hummus and folded flatbread tucked into the side? Yesssss!!
Watch how to make it
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Kalimera’s Famous Greek Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb chicken thighs, skinless boneless – butterfly thicker parts to make the thickness more uniform if they're large (Note 1)
Kalimera's chicken gyros marinade
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika (ie regular paprika, not smoked not spicy)
- 1 tbsp mustard powder (substitute with Dijon mustard)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (Greek, if you've got it)
- 1/2 tbsp curry powder , mild not spicy *secret ingredient!* (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve if using table salt, +50% if using flakes)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Hot chips
- 400g / 14oz thick-cut chips , frozen – optional (Note 3)
- Pinch table salt , for the chips (or chicken salt)
Kalimera gyros sauce:
- 1 cup / 250g plain yoghurt , preferably Greek or Greek-style
- 3 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise , substitute regular mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp yellow American mustard (yes, really!) – substitute with Dijon mustard, not hot English mustard, too spicy
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
To serve
- 2 tomatoes , halved and sliced
- 3 cups cos lettuce (romaine) , finely sliced (5mm / 0.2")
- 1/2 small red onion , diced (5mm / 0.2" squares)
- 5 x 20cm / 8" pita breads, the slightly bready kind if you can (Note 5)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Marinate chicken overnight (minimum 3 hours). Mix sauce, make chips. Cook chicken, rest 3 minutes, assemble gyros as follows: Sauce, chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, chips, sauce. Fold, devour!
FULL RECIPE
- Marinate chicken – Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Marinate in the fridge for 24 hours (absolute minimum 3 hours!)
Before cooking:
- Sauce first – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes to let the flavours meld.
- Chips next – If using hot chips, make them before cooking the chicken using whatever method suits – baked, fry, air fry. (I bake for convenience and fry to impress.) Season with salt to taste (sorry, you're going to have to eat one!) Keep them warm in a 100°C/200°F oven while you cook the chicken.
Cooking the chicken gyros
- BBQ option (recommended!) – Preheat the BBQ on medium high (the grill side preferred, flat iron also works). No need to oil the grills. Cook the chicken for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until deep golden with slightly charred edges.
- Stove cook – Heat a large non stick pan over medium high heat (no oil required). Cook the chicken in batches for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through (internal temperature 72°C/162°F). Give the pan a quick wipe with paper towels between batches, to remove excess black bits.
- Remove & rest – Remove chicken onto a tray. Loosely cover with foil and rest for 3 minutes, then slice into 1 cm / 0.4" pieces.
Assemble gyros
- Heat the pita bread until warm and pliable. Honestly, microwave is so easy (stack on plate, 45 sec – 1 1/2 minutes on high). For stove, brush each side with water then heat in lightly oiled non-stick pan for 1 minute on each side (medium high), don't let it go crispy else it will crack when folded.
- Wrapping – Spread 3 tablespoons of the sauce down the middle. Pile the chicken onto the sauce, add lettuce and tomato on one side. Sprinkle with red onion, pile chips on top, drizzle with more sauce. Fold to enclose, wrap in foil to keep everything in place.
- Serve gyros with extra sauce for dunking!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
After shuttling between seven houses over his lifetime, we’ve started moving into Dozer’s forever home. 🥰 Can’t let a little move interrupt Dozer’s sleeping schedule and posting new recipes – here I am literally writing up these words mid-move!
It will be a few weeks before we’re properly in, but we’ve started! I’m so excited, after 11 years, I’m finally moving out of the office! 🎉
Made these tonight and they were a huge hit. The flavour in the chicken and the flavour in the sauce was incredible! So quick and easy I made a second batch of the chicken in marinade for the freezer. Went straight onto my “maternity leave freezer stash” list.
Thanks Nagi! I’ve been keen to make a big batch of chicken gyros to put in the freezer in small ready to grab bags for after work. Easiest, yummiest dinner!
Have double batched and currently marinating in the fridge in a ziplock bag for 24 hours.
The deli accidentally gave me bone in, skin on chicken thigh so I’ve deboned but left the majority of skin on because, well, I reckon it will be bloody delicious!!
Thanks for the recipe! You’re a ripper!
Loved this! I used Dijon in the marinade and sauce as per the alternatives but otherwise followed the recipe as instructed. The chicken was delicious but the sauce was the winner!
Ohhhhh Nagi!
I’m so excited! I’m going to make this tonight! Kalimera is the best! I live in regional Victoria and whenever we have to go to the ‘burbs, I try to figure out if we have enough time for a souvlaki! How impressive! Please thank Thomas for sharing with you. THANK YOU for sharing with us! 🤩
These were spectacular! I was only able to marinade them for 3 hours but they were soooo delicious! I used your naan recipe as the vehicle instead of pitas or flat bread and the combo really was wonderful! I just made sure to roll them out extra thin so they weren’t to thick. I thick this delicious chicken recipe will be on repeat!
Hi Nagi this recipe looks great but won’t try till I get the right mustard powder can you suggest a brand please.
I used Keens – the classic!
Delicious! Chicken was moist, sauce was flavorful. Perfect recipe.
I have been raving about Kalimera for years! Now back in Perth I still recommend this place to anyone I know visiting Melbourne. Thank you Nagi!
Making this tonight along with my thermomix pita bread, so simple and can’t wait ☺️
Oooh!! I HOPE YOU LOVE IT!!
Sorry, I’m still a bit confused about the mustard! I understand that it has to be American mustard in the sauce but what about the mustard powder in the marinade? Is it okay to use English mustard for that?
Hi Denise! No English mustard in anything here, too hot!!! You can use dijon mustard in the marinade instead of powder, and in the sauce instead of American mustard. Adding this into the recipe to make it super clear!! – N x
Dear Nagi,
I WILL be trying this recipe as it looks absolutely delicious and with chicken!!!
Congrats on your new home! I wish you and Dozer MANY happy years together there!
Thank you Marca!! – N x
I have always thought that you “marinate“ with a “marinade”. Maybe it’s used differently in your country. In any case it’s a great marinade! And I am writing this as it marinates! Many thanks for all you do and xos to Dozer.
Nope, you’re right – did I get it wrong?? Let me double check! – N x
Indeed! And I can’t imagine how to shred the plums for greenery, or perhaps “green age” 😉
Another ripper recipe.
My husband loved getting his wrapped in foil “just like a food truck!” …… “did you make the sauce? It’s really good!”
I add avocado – very yummy!
Definitely try to get the “breadier” souvlaki/pita bread.
The only one I found in my (regional) Woolworths was made by Mission, Hard to find on the bottom shelf. But well worth it, makes a delicious difference.
🥳 Thank you Nagi 🥳
I’m so thrilled to hear your husband enjoyed this Liz!! Thanks for letting me know! – N x
Nagi, you have made my day! I lived in Oakleigh for a few years. Back in WA now but still dream of these delicious gyros and such a beautiful group of people at Kalimera! Thank you so much.
Oakleigh is such a vibrant neighbourhood!! I spent a wonderful day eating my way around it 🙂 – N x
this is the first time that a recipe failed me on recipetineats. I found the mustard overpowering in the sauce and even though I kept adding yogurt and mayo to cover it up, I ended tossing it.
I’m sorry to hear that Suzy, did you use the right amount?? 2 tablespoons compared to the volume of everything else in the sauce shouldn’t make the mustard overwhelm, it’s supposed to be a background flavour 🙂 – N x
I did use the right amount but maybe my mustard is stronger than yours. I am in Canada and used Complements. I still think you are the best
Compliments is Empire/Sobey’s house brand, including multiple sorts of prepared mustard. Curious to know if you used the “yellow” one?
yes
Hi Nagi this looks great. Wondering would the marinade work for lamb shoulder meat as well? Love me a greek lamb gyros 🤤
I haven’t tried but I think I’d want to add yogurt which is a good tenderiser, to get the flavour right through, because lamb meat is not as tender as chicken. Lamb gyros is on my list, I’ve never really found one I truly truly love! Thanks for the idea though! – N x
Oh! Imbed this tonight. But, I didn’t have time to marinate the chicken (😬), so marinated for 24 minutes rather than hours, and used left over roast chicken as well, heated up for a few minutes in the pan. Family were super impressed, shocked even! Will make it properly next time for full flavour explosion! And, the sauce is THE best
Absolutely delicious, ten stars! My hubs not only sopped up the drippings on his plate, he cleaned up the pan with some bread, making yummy noises the whole time. This will be on regular rotation!
It was a hit for the whole family, YAY! Thanks Judith!
I’ve made these but with your naan bread recipe! Greek and Indian fusion! The best!
Thanks Patrick, that naan recipe is epic!
Yes! I did the same thing! I find her recipe for naan is perfect because it is more “bready” than a pita. It’s a fantastic combo!
Hi Nagi
Is it possible for you to put the ingredients in grams as well as cups & spoons I think it will be easier for small servings. Thanks Nagi love your recipes
Hi Maria, all the ingredients that can be measured in metric are already included in the recipe (except the cup of yoghurt, it’s 250g) but it’s fixed now. Hope that makes it easier for you to scale down the servings, and thank you for the lovely message!